talkmagic.co.uk

Browsing through a bric-a-brac stall recently I noticed two decks of cards with unusual boxes so, being a sucker for such things, I bought them! They're both Arpak brand cards - see http://www.wopc.co.uk/uk/arpak.html - and are reminiscent of Black Tigers as the cards are black background with, apart from Hearts, unusual colours for the suits. Both are red backed but one deck has a second joker with a blue back. Most of the decks featured on-line have a solid red or blue back with one or two cameo portraits on them Mine are like the ones shown in the photo.

Doing a bit of digging I see that these decks are old, dating from between 1927-and, considered rare and are of value, I was wondering if anyone else had knowledge of these decks?

Wow!! Just love those Mandrake, what a find.. I also enjoy searching places for that something different.. You was at the right place there.. Can't say I have seen anything like these before? What are you going to do with them? Just realized.. The joker in the deck looks the same as the joker in a ordinary deck of waddington's playing cards?

I'm not really sure what to do with them! I spent some time Googling and checking the ebay listings and it seems they sell for anywhere between £12 and £62 a deck . These cards are virtually unused, they were in random order so they've seen a little usage, I put them into suit and ranking order to check that all 52 were there and that's about it, the tuck boxes are in much better condition than any of the boxes I've seen on the web. From the various sites it seems that they were developed as one possible way of ensuring that games of Bridge weren't spoiled by someone mistaking one suit for another, e.g. clubs for spades, when calling a bid hence the title of No Revoke' cards.

I feel a bit guilty now as I only paid the asking price - 20p a deck - and the person running that stall is a friend, as are the people running all the other stalls.....

Shhh!! Wont say a thing? Its amazing what you find by doing a little research.. Would be interesting knowing a little about there history etc.. But suppose that would be a hard task! Oh well, the extra profit is there for you if you manage to sell them? Or maybe keeping them for a rainy day, and see how much they are worth another time...

Thank you. One way of looking at things is to hang on to them for a while as other decks are bound to get damaged or lost so they will become more rare as the years go by. If I don't cash in I can't be seen to be profiteering - yet!

There's some history online, the firm exhibited at the 1929 British Industries Fair and the decks were produced for just 7 years, other firms also made special decks designed to be 'No Revoke' but none of them were take seriously enough and, like these decks, just disappeared after a short while. I'll certainly be doing more digging to see if I can establish some sort of provenance and history for the idea of the decks. Google maps show the building, or at least the address, is still there - at the time of the photo the building is vacant and available to let. Fascinating to dig and research this sort of stuff - until last Friday I had no idea about the decks or the firm, now, for me anyway, they're a real part of history.

Could not agree more on that... Big fan of interesting research. Especially magic related.. I'm sure you remember a while back, when I mentioned about going to Edinburgh and investigating the burial site of the great Lafayette, and was bombarded by lots more info about his past. Especially from the late Allen Tipton. Who then recommended a book by him, to which I purchased... Its moments like that, which makes it very interesting not knowing what you going to find? I also think keeping those cards would be wise, as well..

I've been interested in Lafayette for ages, Allen put me right on several misunderstanding about him and I also bought that book he recommended - he should have had commission! When we were in Edinburgh earlier this year I tried to get to the cemetery but we ran out of time and it was only after we got home that I heard about the exhibition - I was only round the corner from there and if I'd known I would certainly have popped in to see it.

I was never a fan of history at school although at college it was presented better and became more interesting but things like Lafayette, Chung Ling Soo and the other 'greats' have such rich and interesting histories it's almost compulsive to dig, delve and find out more. It many ways their convoluted lives make me appreciate that I'm not quite so barmy as I thought!

Re the decks, I've already had two PMs and one email offering to buy but, at the moment, I'm hanging on to them - my sons or my grandson might be able to get the benefit in years to come when they'll be worth mega-bucks !